European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday March 21, 1986 letters Rhein main hotel billeting policies explained on a saturday night around 7 30 i went to the Rhein main hotel to request a room. It was Only until six in the morning. I was there after travelling one and a half hours to pick up a lieutenant arriving from the states. I was told that i could not Lodge there because i was not on a leave status or toy. I would have accepted this maybe easier if there had not been Many vacancies. How Ever it came to my attention that the hotel was not in the least crowded. Being As late As it was it was unlikely that that Many people would Check in before morning. I did not pursue the Issue. Instead i spent almost 100 Marks to stay in a hotel More than 20 minutes away. It seems to me that there could be an allowance for lodging when people travel to Frankfurt. It is not easy to drive there and Back to your origin in a Day let alone for an Early morning arrival. Let s see what comments this will draw and maybe morale support can do some thing for the soldiers. Not to pick on Rhein main but on the same night i entered the base the guard checked my id card Driver s License and registration. The line was Semi Long to enter but not once did i see anyone get asked to Check under the Hood or trunk. Id cards and the rest Are not hard to obtain. Does t the Security of a Large scale Mili tary base need to do More no wonder they have been attacked there. Sgt. William Long bad Kissinger Germany editor s note capt. Lorrie j. Bourland chief Public affairs div., he 435th tactical Airlift Wing Mac replies in reference to the billeting question in your letter the billeting officer submits the following Rhein main billeting management gladly takes this Opportunity to respond to the writer who was recently unable to obtain accommodations at the Rhein main Aerial port hotel. This response should clarify policy and assist future travellers in similar situations. The Rhein main a transient facilities Are operated to provide a service to duty personnel and to conserve appropriated funds through reduced per diem payments. The office of primary responsibility for these facilities is the Usan engineering and services Center and should not be con fused in any Way with mar. The billeting receptionist who informed you that you were ineligible for accommodations was Correct. Personnel who Are entitled to accommodations fall into two priorities. Priority one is those personnel in an official duty status who Are housed on a confirmed basis. Priority two is those personnel who Are in a leave status and Are housed on a space available basis. The situation As described by the writer would not have entitled him to accommodations under either priority. The sole posses Sion of a valid military or Dod civilian identification card does not entitle the trav Eler to accommodations. Because Rhein main a serves As the sole Aerial port for personnel arriving and departing the european continent accommodations Are reserved for personnel arriving and departing around the clock. This includes daily military Airlift come air Crews who frequently arrive after a 16-hour duty Day and those toy or pcs personnel who arrive after frequently being under Way for 24 hours. The Aerial port hotel has 274 rooms. During 1985, 92 percent of the rooms were used to accommodate 164,000 guests. The remaining 8 percent were not used As a result of rooms out of order and no  during 1985 More than 21,000 traveler nights had to be referred to commercial hotels off base. As an added customer serv ice for those duty and non duty travellers who Are unable to obtain on base quarters an information clerk is available during Peak hours to assist those personnel in obtaining commercial lodging at those com Mercial hotels which offer reduced rates to . Military and Dod civilian personnel. Additionally an illuminated information Board with color photographs prices Dis Tance from base etc., is available when the information desk is unmanned. Rhein main billeting management always strives to provide the very Best service to the traveler. However personnel should re member that the responsibility for obtaining accommodations rests with the individual travellers. We Hope to accommodate you in the future. In reference to the Security at the Gate 435th Security police chief provides the following reply Security officials at Rhein main Abad Vise their entry control and vehicles search procedures change daily consistent with air Force policy and level of threat. Cafes reiterates satisfaction or refund policy 1 have always enjoyed shopping in the Exchange the merchandise is usually of Good Quality and i like the fact that if i do buy something that is not what i thought it was then i can return it for a refund. Well now it seems that this policy does not apply for when cafes makes a mis take. I bought a computer Cartridge for my atari 800 Al computer. The Box was open with the Cartridge and the paperwork Loose inside. The Price sticker was on the Box itself with no wrapper like the other ones had. The sticker on the Box says Cartridge for atari 400/800" and then something which had been crossed out. It was the Only one there so i bought it trusting cafes that this was of. When i tried using it it did not work crossed out. So i asked a clerk if i could use it on my Al computer and she said no. So now i know exactly what happened. I bought a Cartridge that someone else had returned because it did not work on their computer. The Exchange just put a sticker on that was not supposed to be on and crossed out what did not apply to it. So i took the Cartridge Back thinking that i too could return it. I was told that i could not return any pre recorded item that had been opened. But it was open when i bought it i told the manager. You should not have bought it then was the answer. I told the manager i could not use it for my computer because they had put the wrong information on it. But he said that i could have recorded it just so i could have a refund. Right but i thought 1 was using it wrong. I want this Cartridge but it has to fit my then 1 went to a different Exchange and 800 Al computer so if the Exchange can saw the same Cartridge and the sticker Only get the one i need i will gladly Exchange it. Said what was on mine but with nothing but right now my children have a $26 toy which they can t use. It is not even a toy it is to help my daughter who has a learning problem. Since then i have been noticing a lot of things in the Exchange that i would never buy things with broken parts earrings that Are absolutely disgusting with Sticky Marks and scratches All Over for $4.50. I would like to know How cafes can sell merchandise that has been returned once by a customer and the next customer can t return it. An unsatisfied customer Bremerhaven Germany editor s note master sgt. Bruce e. Zielsdorf customer relations specialist Public affairs office he cafes Europe replies the hassle you experienced while trying to return a computer Cartridge that would t run on your machine should never have happened. Our policy is that pre recorded Merchan Dise tapes records discs game cartridges and computer software returned within seven Days because of a manufacturer s defect will be exchanged for the same title if it s available. If the title is not available the customer will be offered an Exchange for an alternate selection. If that is not acceptable the Cus Tomer will be offered a refund. That is our policy. Polices Are Only guidelines and need to be tempered with common sense for which there is no substitute. Your being stuck with a worthless com Puter Cartridge that put you out $26 simply in t acceptable. We encourage you to con tact James Boswell Bremerhaven Exchange manager at 0471 85092 for assistance in obtaining a Quick refund. I can assure you he wants to hear any other concerns you might have about local cafes operations As Well. He s the cafes professional with the ability and authority to address the majority of your concerns on the spot. Requirements listed for sole surviving status i would like to request a clarification on percent eran who is permanently disabled As decided by the veterans administration. He is not gainfully employed because of his disability and i am the Only male child having Only one sister As the other child in the family. The problem comes in according to a 614-200, paragraph 3-17, item b. No. 1 states and is hospitalized in a continuing  my father was told that his Condi Tion was such that he had not been sched does this preclude me from being eligible for sole surviving son status name withheld Fulda Germany editor s note it. Col. Courtney b. Starbird chief personnel actions Divi Sion rate Only remaining son and or daughter in a family in which the father Mother or one or More sons or daughters meet one or More of the following requirements was killed in action or died in the line of duty while serving in the armed forces As a result of wounds Accident or disease. Is captured or missing in action. The information you provided shows you Are not eligible for sole surviving son status As your father although a 100 percent disabled Veteran is not hospitalized on a continuing basis. Also none of your siblings have suffered the Circum stances listed above that would establish your sole surviving son status. Asst replies. Disabled including 100 percent mental disa son or daughter should Start their request we appreciate the Opportunity to outline ability As decided by the veterans adminis at their personnel and adm Nistra Ion Cen the requirements for obtaining status As a traction or one of the military services and Ter pack rations a rations evolved into mils now res pen pals we have a problem of major proportions Here in Garmisch. As we discuss Only Earth shattering topics at our Stam Tisch the major answer we Are looking for at the moment is when was the initial Date of Issue use of a rations assault and then a rations we have no quartermaster that can give us a satisfactory answer. I Hope someone in your audience can quote an authority not an Opin Ion. The Admiral Ted Sam Garmisch Germany editor s note Chuck Vinch of our Washington Bureau replies a rations were initially tested in the sum Mer of 1941 As a parachutist s ration. A rations were developed by or. Ancel keys and popular lore has it that the a came from his last name. He was one of the first major nutritionists and one of the first to warn about the dangers of cholesterol in the late 40s and Early 50s. The a ration was standardized for army use in May 1942 and survived until 1948, when it was discontinued. Initial tests on a rations were conducted in the mid-30s and on came about As a result of the army s desire to replace the old Reserve ration of world War i. The a ration was introduced in november 1939. It s been in the inventory Ever since although it has undergone quite a few changes along the Way to its current incarnation meal combat individual or Sci for Short. The Sci has been officially discontinued in favor of the new meal ready to eat or Are but stocks of mics Are still available and Are being used until exhausted. I would like pen pats. I am 24 and my hobbles Are biking dancing singing and Reading magazines or novels. Josephine general Back of Escano Priapi Dumaguet cite Philippines i would like pen pals. I am 16 and my hobbies Are singing and collecting Stamps. Raquil f. Encarnacion Hiba Iyo Gui Huangan Negros Oriental Philippines i am a 21-year-old woman and speak French arabic and English. I would like to correspond with friends from All Over. I like dancing Reading an music. Moussaoui f Zohra no. 20, Rue Mustapha Zidou Nevlida Algeria